The Case For Meaningful Use: Strengthened, Not Weakened

Last week the Archives of Internal Medicine published a study that calls into question the value of electronic health records, or EHRs, clinical decision support, and the federal “meaningful use” program, which provides financial incentives to physicians and hospitals who adopt EHRs and use them in ways which should improve care. A close look reveals the study’s conclusions are unsound. But the study brings up several points on health IT and meaningful use that need clarification.